Back in 2013, in response to a convention question, Wil Wheaton (yes, that Wil Wheaton) explained how he has grown to embrace and define the word “nerd.”
“When I was a little boy, people really teased me about [being a nerd] and made me feel like there was something wrong with me for loving those things. Now that I’m an adult, I’m a professional nerd, and the world has changed. I think we have realized that being a nerd is not about what you love but about how you love.
So there’s going to be a thing in your life that you love, and I don’t know what it’s going to be. It might be sports, it might be science, it might be reading, it might be fashion design, it might be building things, it might be telling stories or taking pictures. It doesn’t matter what it is. The way you love that, and the way that you find other people who love it the way you do, is what makes being a nerd awesome.”
What Wil didn’t know, or he probably did, was that nerds, geeks, and super fans would be the ones shaping the mass media landscape. Don’t believe me? Just take a quick look at the movies being made, the television shows produced, and the online discussions invading news outlets. The voice of the online masses can reach further than ever, and those voices speak pretty loudly.
Early Adopters and Power Users
Call them what you will – early adopters, innovators, power users, super fans, fanatics, nuts, etc. – the people who love what they like and love it hard have a lot of power.
When it comes to movies, television, and video games, a wave of supporters and detractors yelling loud enough from their online soapboxes can create enough momentum or pressure to revive or kill a property. The same goes for sports and politics. Those who are on the front lines, cheering the loudest or protesting in the streets, have seemingly become stockholders and executioners. Ranging from pressures to change a sports team’s name to removing statues from universities, flags from capital buildings, and politicians from office, the “nerds” are making a difference.
Marketing to the New Masses
It’s really unfair to claim that this supposed phenomena of fanatics fueling political and consumer demand is anything new. In fact, it’s almost always been the die-hards that have laid the path for marketers and future consumers alike. Marketing 101 teaches us that the early adopters and power users are the ones that can help make or break a product or service, and once a concept has caught on and been approved by those nerds, as it were, the masses catch on pretty quickly.
Fortunately, forming successful campaigns that appeal to power users and early adopters has become a well-studied science, and guidelines for improving inbound marketing strategies for maximum effect are easy to utilize.
- Audience segmentation: One size no longer fits all, especially in the fragmenting world of niche supply-and-demand. Instead of blanket marketing to your audience, try breaking up your message into segmented mini-messages that appeal to different demographics or consumer demands.
- Appeal to “FOMO”: Believe it or not, fear of missing out (FOMO) is a significant driving factor for many selective consumers. It’s why lines form when new iPhones are released and why midnight showings of new movies attract costumed super fans. Intelligently marketed exclusivity can make a consumer feel like they’re part of something special.
- Don’t sacrifice quality for quantity: Inbound marketing tactics are less copy-and-paste than they used to be, but nothing beats original, authentic, quality content when it comes to winning over consumers and creating long-lasting conversions. Be sociable yet informative, and don’t try to trick or deceive your audience. Ever.
Trial and Error
As always, inbound marketing is a game of trial and error. Just when experts declare niche marketing and intensive segmentation is the key to success, a commercial or advertising campaign aimed at no one in particular seems to come along and win over the masses. One thing is for sure though: consumers are chiming in more frequently and being listened to more often. As marketers, testing the waters with new ideas, deciphering what works and why, and getting as many “nerds” on your side is par for the course.
